Week beginning 13 November 2017
Monday 13th November. A very cold day with light snow showers in the morning, water temperature down to 38 degrees in old money. Only one rod this morning Perry and he managed a bit of a pull in Learmouth stream, Perry’s guest James joined us for the afternoons fun and games and also had a bit of a pull in the Cauld. I only saw two fish in the Cauld all afternoon, one looked like it was spawning down the tail and the other was a kelt, its to warm up a bit tomorrow so that might help a bit, it’ll certainly help me as I was bloody freezing. Catches on the river were poor again with 13 being reported across the two. It was so cold the hut is getting a bit busy with all the hens coming in for a warm up beside the fire.
Tuesday 14th November. Bit light on rods today with only two brave souls fishing this morning, Nigel Houldsworth a Lees regular went through the Cauld without a touch but had a wee pull down at the Iron Gate. I spent the morning resetting mole traps, chopping some kindling and filling a few potholes. This afternoon Nigel was down in Learmouth and lost a wee coloured grilse in the stream, not deterred by this we persisted and it paid off as down by the gate he hooked and landed a 5lber with long tailed lice, I can’t remember the last time I saw a fish with long tailed lice, June perhaps. The score for the day ended with 2 Grey Squirrels, 1 rat, 1 fish and a couple of pulls. 1’4” and 40 degrees today also squeaky clean.
Wednesday 15th November. Another cold day but calm. 1’4” and 40 degrees. Simon Wood joined us today and it was nice to have a catch up, Simon has had some great days on the Lees in years gone bye but today wouldn’t be added to the list, he did get a pull in the Iron Gate but that was it for the day. Very few fish showing round the beat and in fact I could count on my fingers how many I saw. I can’t really add any more to this so I’m off for a dram.
Thursday 16th November. Another nice sunny day followed a very brief heavy shower of rain first thing this morning. 1’4” and 42 degrees. Ian Strachan joined us today but the new blood injected into the team didn’t improve the catches any. There are very few fish showing round the beat now and even less that want to pull a fly, we didn’t have a touch all day and that seems to be the state of play all the way up the river with only 3 fish reported across the websites tonight by 8.00pm. Highlight of the day was the family of Long tailed tits that seem to be in the bushes at learmouth stream everyday coming right up to me. Low point (for Simon anyway) was discovering he had sprung a leak in his neoprene waders wading down the stream. Another low point will be for the lady dog walker who’s Labrador ate the remains of a rat that was on top of the rubbish fire down by the log shed, its going to leave a nice pile on the carpet tonight. At least it was a nice day out as trying to catch one of the remaining fish in a gale or the pissing rain would really test me.
Friday 17th November. I’ll tell you how bad it is, Sally (wife) doesn’t even ask if I’ve caught any fish when I get home of an evening, so I had a surprise for her tonight (steady). We caught one, well Norman caught it and what a drama it was, Norman phoned from the Glide which is about a mile down the beat to say he had a huge fish on, it was into the jeep and blue lights and sirens on as we hurtled down to find him. The other two rods had packed up so this was a big event. On finding Norman in the lower glide I advised him to stand still and stop following the fish and give it some stick, the fish was into the current at the bottom of the pool and seeming to appear bigger than it turned out. A few minutes later we had it in the edge and hook out away it went, it was around 15lb and a coloured hen, it took and a large franknsnelda but Norman was very happy as it was the only pull of the day on the Lees.
The scores on the rest of the river are nonexistent really with only 4 fish reported 2 from Holylee, 1 from the Lees and 1 from Old Melrose. (I wonder where new Melrose is.). I didn’t shoot anything today but did scare a few things, no rats and the bloody mole continues to evade capture. I have bought a lotto ticket tonight and fully expect to be sitting in sunny climes by this time next week with cold fishless November days a distant memory; I’ll pop back for a visit next May once it’s warmed up. 1’5” and 42 degrees, water still nice and clean but it was bloody cold in the wind the morning.
Saturday 18th October. A lovely day weather wise on the river but again the catches were poor to say the least with some of the fish being caught so far up they were nearly in the Clyde. On the Lees Steven Burley had problems with different pairs of waders morning and afternoon and no matter how hard he tried Norman Taylor couldn’t get one of the few fish to have a nibble. Its over for the year really, no matter how we try and sugar it up there’s bugger all left as it should be really, the fish are all away up to do what they came here to do. Rain forecast for Monday and Tuesday so that might just sound the bell and get the fat lady clearing her throat. A week and a half to go and you never know there might be a straggler or two or even an early springer.
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©M Campbell 2017
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